UHezekheli 36
1 “Ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha kuzo izintaba zako-Israyeli uthi: ‘Lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo.
And thou, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of Jehovah.
2 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Isitha satsho ngani sathi, “Awu! Iziqongo zasendulo sezibe yilifa lethu.”’
Thus says the lord Jehovah: Because the enemy has said against you, Aha! and, The ancient high places are ours in possession,
3 Ngakho-ke phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba baliphanga njalo balixotsha bevela ezinhlangothini zonke laze laba yilifa lezinye izizwe lento yokunyeywa lokuchothozwa ngabantu,
therefore prophesy, and say, Thus says the lord Jehovah: Because, even because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession to the residue of the nations, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and the evil report of the people,
4 ngakho-ke, lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo Wobukhosi: Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi kuzo izintaba lamaqaqa, ezindongeni lasezigodini, emanxiweni aphundlekileyo lasemadolobheni atshiyiweyo aphangwayo njalo ahlekwa ngezinye izizwe ezikuhanqileyo,
therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the lord Jehovah. Thus says the lord Jehovah to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which have become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are round about,
5 nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngokutshiseka kwami okukhulu sengikhulume ngimelana lezinye izizwe njalo lange-Edomi lonke, ngoba ngokuthaba langenzondo ezinhliziyweni zabo benza ilizwe lami elabo ukuze baphange amadlelo alo.’
therefore thus says the lord Jehovah: Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, who have appointed my land to themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with spite of soul, to cast it out for a prey.
6 Ngakho phrofetha ngelizwe lako-Israyeli uthi kuzo izintaba lamaqaqa, indonga lezigodi: Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngikhuluma ngolaka lwami olulobukhwele ngoba lithwale isithuko sesizwe.
Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, Thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because ye have borne the shame of the nations.
7 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngifunga izandla ziphakanyiselwe phezulu ukuthi izizwe ezilihanqileyo lazo zizathwala isithuko.
Therefore thus says the lord Jehovah: I have sworn, saying, Surely the nations that are round about you, they shall bear their shame.
8 Kodwa lina, lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, lizaveza ingatsha lezithelo zabantu bami u-Israyeli, ngoba sebezakuza ekhaya masinyane nje.
But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they are at hand to come.
9 Ngiyalinqinekela njalo ngizalikhangela ngomusa; lizalinywa lihlanyelwe,
For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn into you, and ye shall be tilled and sown.
10 njalo ngizakwandisa inani labantu phezu kwenu, lakuyo yonke indlu ka-Israyeli. Amadolobho kuzahlalwa kuwo futhi lamanxiwa avuselelwe.
And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it, and the cities shall be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built.
11 Ngizakwandisa inani labantu lelezinyamazana phezu kwenu: njalo kuzazalana kwande. Ngizahlalisa abantu phezu kwenu njengakudala njalo ngizalenza liphumelele kakhulu kulakudala. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.
And I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall increase and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited according to your former estate, and will do better to you than at your beginnings. And ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
12 Ngizakwenza abantu, abantu bami bako-Israyeli bahambe phezu kwenu. Bazalenza libe ngababo, njalo lizakuba yilifa labo; kaliyikubemuka abantwana babo futhi.
Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel, and they shall possess thee, and thou shall be their inheritance, and thou shall no more henceforth bereave them of sons.
13 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba abantu bathi kini, ‘Lidla abantu lemuke isizwe senu abantwana baso,
Thus says the lord Jehovah: Because they say to you, Thou O land are a devourer of men, and have been a bereaver of thy nation,
14 ngakho-ke kaliyikudla abantu futhi loba lenze isizwe senu singabi labantwana, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
therefore thou shall no more devour men, nor bereave thy nation any more, says the lord Jehovah.
15 Angiyikulenza lizwe izibhinqo zezizwe, njalo kalisayikuthwala izithuko zabantu loba ngenze ukuba isizwe senu siwe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’”
Neither will I let thee hear any more the shame of the nations, nor shall thou bear the reproach of the peoples any more, nor shall thou cause thy nation to stumble any more, says the lord Jehovah.
16 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi njalo lisithi:
Moreover the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
17 “Ndodana yomuntu, abantu bako-Israyeli besahlala elizweni labo, balingcolisa ngendlela abaziphatha ngayo langezenzo zabo. Ukuziphatha kwabo kwakufana lokungcola kowesifazane kwanyanga zonke emehlweni ami.
Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings. Their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.
18 Ngakho ngehlisela ulaka lwami phezu kwabo ngoba babechithe igazi elizweni njalo ngoba babelingcolisile ngezithombe zabo.
Therefore I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood which they had poured out upon the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols.
19 Ngabachithela phakathi kwezizwe, njalo bahlakazekela emazweni; ngabahlulela ngokufanele ukuziphatha kwabo kanye lezenzo zabo.
And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. I judged them according to their way and according to their doings.
20 Loba ngaphi abaya khona phakathi kwezizwe balingcolisa ibizo lami elingcwele, ngoba kwathiwa ngabo, ‘Laba ngabantu bakaThixo, kodwa basuswa elizweni.’
And when they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name, in that men said of them, These are the people of Jehovah, and have gone forth out of his land.
21 Nganqinekela ibizo lami elingcwele, elangcoliswa yindlu ka-Israyeli phakathi kwezizwe abaya kuzo.
But I had regard for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.
22 Ngakho tshono endlini ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Akusingenxa yakho, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, ukuthi ngizakwenza izinto lezi, kodwa ngenxa yebizo lami elingcwele, osulingcolisile phakathi kwezizwe lapho oye khona.
Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the lord Jehovah: I do this not for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations where ye went.
23 Ngizabonakalisa ubungcwele bebizo elikhulu, eselingcolisiwe phakathi kwezizwe, ibizo osulingcolisile phakathi kwazo. Lapho-ke izizwe zizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, lapho sengizibonakalisa ngingcwele ngawe phambi kwamehlo azo.
And I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them. And the nations shall know that I am Jehovah, says the lord Jehovah, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 Ngoba ngizakususa ezizweni; ngizakuqoqa emazweni wonke ngikubuyisele elizweni lakho.
For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Ngizakuchela ngamanzi ahlanzekileyo, uzahlambuluka; ngizakuhlambulula kukho konke ukungcola kwakho kanye lakuzo zonke izithombe zakho.
And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness, and from all your idols.
26 Ngizakunika inhliziyo entsha ngifake lomoya omutsha phakathi kwakho; ngizasusa kuwe inhliziyo yakho yelitshe ngikunike inhliziyo yenyama.
I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
27 Njalo ngizafaka uMoya wami phakathi kwakho ngikwenze ulandele izimiso zami njalo unanzelele ukugcina imithetho yami.
And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my ordinances, and do them.
28 Lizahlala elizweni engalinika okhokho benu; lizakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wenu.
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
29 Ngizalikhulula kukho konke ukungcola kwenu. Ngizabiza amabele ngiwenze abe manengi njalo angiyikuletha indlala kini.
And I will save you from all your uncleannesses. And I will call for the grain, and will multiply it, and lay no famine upon you.
30 Ngizakwandisa izithelo zezihlahla kanye lamabele emasimini, ukuze lingabi lehlazo futhi phakathi kwezizwe ngenxa yendlala.
And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye may no more receive the reproach of famine among the nations.
31 Lapho-ke lizakhumbula izindlela zenu ezimbi kanye lezono zenu ezingalunganga, njalo lizazizonda lina ngokwenu ngenxa yezono kanye lezenzo zenu ezenyanyekayo.
Then ye shall remember your evil ways, and your doings that were not good. And ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
32 Ngifuna ukuba likwazi ukuthi lokhu angikwenzeli lina, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi. Yangeka ube lenhloni ngenxa yokuziphatha kwakho, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli!
I do this not for your sake, says the lord Jehovah; be it known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.
33 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngosuku engizakuhlambulula ngalo ezonweni zakho zonke, ngizahlalisa abantu emadolobheni akho, njalo lamanxiwa azavuselelwa.
Thus says the lord Jehovah: In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built.
34 Ilizwe eliphundlekileyo lizalinywa kulokuthi lihlale liphundlekile emehlweni abo bonke abadabula phakathi kwalo.
And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all who passed by.
35 Bazakuthi, “Ilizwe leli elaselenziwe laba lugwadule selibe njengesivande se-Edeni; amadolobho ayesengamanxiwa, ephundlekile njalo echithekile, khathesi asevikelwe ngezinqaba njalo sekuhlala abantu kuwo.”
And they shall say, This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. And the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.
36 Lapho-ke izizwe ezilihanqileyo eziseleyo zizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo sengikwakhe kutsha okwakudiliziwe njalo sengikuhlanyele kutsha okwakuphundlekile. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile njalo ngizakwenza lokhu.’
Then the nations that are left round about you shall know that I, Jehovah, have built the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate. I, Jehovah, have spoken it, and I will do it.
37 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizasivuma njalo isicelo sendlu ka-Israyeli ngibenzele lokhu: Ngizakwenza abantu bakibo babebanengi njengezimvu,
Thus says the lord Jehovah: For this, moreover, I will be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them. I will increase them with men like a flock.
38 babebanengi njengemihlambi yemihlatshelo eJerusalema ngesikhathi semikhosi yalo emisiweyo. Ngokunjalo amadolobho achithekayo azagcwala ngamaxuku abantu. Lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.”
As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. And they shall know that I am Jehovah.
